Vehicle-dashboard frame.



Nd. 692,945. Patented Feb. Il, |902. P. J. TIMBERLAKE.. vEHlcLE nAsHaoAnn FRAME.

(Application led Nuv. 17, 1900. Renewed. June 18, 1901.)

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No. 692,945. Patented Feb. Il, |902. P. J. TIMBERLAKE.. VEHICLE DASHBUABD FRAME.

(Application led Nov. 17, 1900. Renewed June 18, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 692,945. Patented Feb. Il, |902.

P. J. TIMBEBLAKE.

VEHICLE nAsHBoAeD FRAME.

(Application led Nov. 17, 1900. Renewed June 18, 1901.) No Medel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED .STATES PATENT Ormes.

PAUL JOI-IN TIMBERLAKE, or JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-DASHBOARD FRAME.

SPECIFICATION formingl part of Letters Patent No. 692,945, dated February 11, 1902. Application filed Novenihe1'1'7, 1900. Renewed .Tune 18, 1901. Serial No. 65,084. (No model.)

To @ZZ 'Ll/71,0111, il; may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL JOHN TIMBER- LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson,in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements n'Vehicle-Dashboard Frames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a device to be used in connection with the dashboards of buggies and similar vehicles by which several desirable ends can be attained.

'These dashes, as is well known, are in many cases quite light in their structure and more or less liable to straining and twisting and being otherwise marred or injured. This is particularly true where whip-sockets, reinholders, and other attachments are secured to them.

The devices to which this invention relates are intended to overcome these disadvantages, to strengthen and brace the dash as awhole, to provide a rest for the reins, and to, when desired, securely fasten the latter in place, and to increase the ornamental and tasty appearance of this part of the vehicle.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a device embodying my improvements, it being here illustrated as seen when looking forward from the buggy. Fig. 2 is a top edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of a modification. Fig. 4 is a similar view of another modified form. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line as on, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical 'section on the line y y of either Fig. 3 or Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on vthe line z e, Figs. 1, 3, and 4. Figs. S, 9, and 10 arerear views of further modifications. Fig. 11 is a top edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 12 is a top edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 13 is a top edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 10. Figs. 14 to 18 illustrate the several forms of the device shown, respectively, in Figs. 1, 4, 8, 9, and 10, they being here illustrated detached and in the condition in which they are manufactured as separate articles prior to attachment to the dashes.

In the drawings the dash of a buggy or similar vehicle, or a su liicient portion thereof to assist in understanding the invention, is indicated by A. This is formed of the framebars a ct, at the ends with the top bar at and `the bottom bar a2, and the leather d3, which require supplemental parts forstrengthening,

bracing, and permitting the securing of other attachments.

Referring at first to the parts in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, B indicates a device of one of the forms embodying my improvements. It is, as an entirety capable of being attachedto and detached from the dash structure. It is composed of the standards b b, each having a downwardly-extending leg or plate and the rail or bar b2. The standards b b are formed with eyes b3, through which the rail b2 is passed and in which the latter is fastened by brazing, soldering, or equivalent process. The rail extends from side to side of the dash, and the standards b h are clamped against the latter, they and the rails thus serving as a bracing and strengthening device. In the construction now being described the rail is at the sides of the das h bent upward, outward, and downward toy form relatively large loops h4, that part of the bar at b5 serving as a guard orretaining device for the reins to prevent their lateral displacement either when held loosely in the hands of the driver or when they are secured in the holder.

To increase the strength and stability of the rail, its ends are carried inward from the loops b4 and pass through eyes orrsockets h6 in the standards?) and extended thence still farther inward toward the center, their inner ends being provided with balls or knobs hl, which prevent said ends from engaging with or tearing clothing or other bodies which may come into contact with them. Preferably the y IGO purposes can be accomplished by bending the central part of the upper bar B slightly forward.

When the rail-frame is constructed in the way above described, it will be seen that I provide means for firmly grippingand holding the reins independently of the dash. The parts at b3 b9 of the rail-bar are so arranged relatively to the upper main part b2 that one or both ot the reins can by an easy lateral movement be slipped between these two parts of the rail and be pinched or clamped as tightly as desired. By examining Figs. 5 and 6 it will be seen that these parts of the railframe should be suitably near to the top of the dash so that the free end or ends of the reins can fall down against it and assist in preventing the forward slipping thereof.

In Fig. 3 a modified form of rail-frame is shown, the parts of which, however, as concerns the ends attained by them, are substantially similar to those above described, and shown in Figs. ll and 2. In this case the loops at the outer ends are dispensed with and guards are provided by extending the ends of lthe rails C upward, as shown at c5, and their extremities are provided with knob guards or balls cu. The standards at c c for securing the rail to the dash are similar to those at t, except that they each have but a single socket or eye. A third standard c10 is here used, which not only furnishes an additional strengthening and supporting brace for the main rail and for the dash, but also provides a carrier for rigidly holding the supplemental rail or bar C', the latter being fastened in the socket c6. This bar at its extremities is bent backward somewhat, as at c8,and furnished with knobs or balls c". Thus it will be seen that here also I provide the guard-rail for the dash and also a rein holding and securing means which is virtually a part of the rail-frame and is attachable and detachable therewith in relation to the dash.

In Figs. 4, 8,9, and l0 there are shown otherY modifications of the rail-frame, by which all of the above-described ends can be attained, as well as others in addition thereto. In some cases it is desirable to still further strengthen and stiften the dashboards and to provide hand-bars by which the rider is assisted in getting into and out from the vehicle. In such instances I employ an inner rail or bar, as shown in the figures last designated. Turning to Fig. 4, this supplemental bar is indicated by D. In this case it extends from side to side of the dash and terminates near its side vertical line, being provided with knobguards du. It is supported in and rigidly fastened in sockets d, formed in the standards d d, by which the rail-frame is secured to the dash. The upper bar or rail D is substantially similar to that at B in the construction shown in Fig. l-that is to say, it has a central part d2 approximately straight and secured in the eyes d3. At the outer parts it is bent to form loops d and has its downward and inward turned ends secured in loops d in thestandards. The end parts project toward the center from the standards, they being curved backward at d8 and provided with balls di. Here I provide not only an increased strength and stiii'ness for the rail-,frame as a whole, but furnish means for relieving the dash entirely of service in holding the reins. The ends of the latter are pinched or gripped between the projecting end parts d8 ds of the projecting ends of the bar and the top rail part (Z2 and the lower rail D. The said end parts can be somewhat elastic or resilient; but such qualityis not necessary to attain the purposes aimed at.

In Figs. 8, 9, and lO the supplemental rail is so formed and att-ached as to still further enhance the stitfening and strengthening of the dash and of the rail-trame- In Fig. 8 it is indicated as a whole by E. It is formed with the top transverse part e13 and the `Vertical parts e, terminating at the bottom in attachment foot-pieces 615, by which it is secured to the lower part of the dash. The vertical side parts 614 are substantially parallel to, but somewhat outside of, the end edges of the dash, so that they also serve as handloops to assist in entering or descending from the vehicle. The upper rail (indicated as a whole by E) and the standards care substantially similar to' the corresponding parts in Figs. l and 4, above described, and will be readily understood without further description.

In Fig. 9 a construction is shown in which the principal rail of the frame is at the top line oi' the latter, as shown at F', the crossbar being indicated byfand the downwardextending parts at j", these being secured in the manner above described to the lower part of the dash and having a free space between them and the side edges of the latter. The stiffening-bar F is between the upper edge ot the dash and the bar f. The standards f2 f2 carry the transverse bars and detachably connect them to the dash. These two transverse or cross barsin this construction are supplementally braced together at the center by a bracket f3. This bracket carries a short third bar, Whose oppositely-projecting ends are curved somewhat backward at f4 and terminate in guards f5.

With respect to that feature of the invention which relates to so constructing the railframe that it can be used to tightly pinch or grasp the reins, it will be noticed that in the devices above described the free ends, which are turned somewhat backward, are in each case located relatively near the center plane of the vehicle; but in some cases it is better to have the rein support and gripper at considerable distance from the center, and when my plan is followed for constructing the parts of the rails this can be readily accomplished. Thus in Figs. lOand 13 a construction is shown in which the principal rail of the frame is shown at G extending from side IOO IIO

to side of the dash and turned inward above the outer. edges of the dash, as at g, and secured to the dash by the standards g and then curved outward again, as at g2, and with the terminals curved backward, as at g3, and provided with the guard-'knobs g4. The backwardly-curved parts yg? serve to support the reins,asin the other structures shown. In this structure the stiffening-bar G' is between the upper edge of the dash and the bar G and is supported by the same standards g which support the parts g and is turned downward on each side, as at g5, and attached to the dash by foot-pieces Q6.

The central portion of the top rail G is depressed, as shown, and connected centrally to the stiffening-rail G by a clip g7 to add stiffness to the' structure. When the reins are held in the hands and are resting on. the

top cross-bar G, the upwardly-turned parts at. g8 serve as a guard against lateral displacement; but when they are fastened in the holder they are held on lines quite remote from the back of the horse and are not liable to accidental loosening;

I am aware of the fact that numerous devices have been suggested, on the one hand, for'stienin g or strengthening vehicle-dashes, and, on the other hand, for attaching devices directly to the dashes for holding whips, reins, the.; but I believe myself to be the first to have provided an article which as an entirety can be consideredas entirelyindependent of the dash and whose parts are so coustructed and related that they furnish the desired bracing and stiffening of the dash from one side to the other; secondly, greatly enhance the ornamental appearance of the article, and, thirdly, furnish means for readily and quickly gripping or unfastening the reins. Such an article as I have described and capable of meeting all of these ends can be Ymanufactured in its complete form and furnished to the carriage-builders ready for application to the vehicle..

It will be readily seen that numerous other modifications can be produced without materially departing from the essential -features of the invention which I present, those shown herein being selected as types for the purpose of illustration.

What I claim is- 1. A rail-frame for a vehicle-dash having a bracing and ornamenting rail extending across thetop of the dash, means f or attaching it to the dash, and a rein-holder secured to said frame independentlyof the dash, substantially as set forth.

2. A rail-frame for a vehicle-dash having a bracing-rall, adapted to be attached to the frame fora vehicle-dash having attachingstandards, av bar extending across the dash rigidly attached to said standards, and two oppositely-extending bars with free ends'and rigidly connected with the aforesaid bars and adapted to clamp the ends of reins against it, substantially'as set forth. f p

4. 'As an article of manufacture,a vehicle dash rail-frame having two parallel bars and two barsv intermediate thereof bent as de-` scribed to permit the fastening of straps between the 'intermediate bars and those at'the sides thereof, and means for fastening said frame to a vehicle-dash, substantially as set forth.

5. As an article of manufacture, a dash'railframe having two adjacent barsand one. or more intermediate bars with one or more fr ee ends, the end parts and the adjacent bars lying in different planes whereby means are provided for the grasping of straps between the intermediate bar and the adjacent bars,

and means for detachably ,fastening said frame to a dash, substantially as set forth.

6. As an article of manufacture, a vehiclea dash frame having two adjacent bars adapted to extend across the top of a vehicle-dash,

and leg-bars @14 adapted to be placed by the` sides of the dash, an arm or arms with free ends between the said bars andk lying in planes other than those of the said bars, and means for securing the saidparts of the frame together, and to a vehicle-dash, substantially as set forth. Y

7. As an article of manufacture, a vehicledash frame having a bar as at E adapted to extend acrossA the top of a vehicle-dash, said bar being bent backwardlupon itself atits ends to form arms having the end parts disposed substantially as set forth .relative to the main part of the bar to permit the grasping of a strap between the said bar and the said end parts, as described.v i

8. As an article of manufacture a vehicledash rail-frame having a bar adapted to extend across the top of a dash, said bar being bent back upon itself at its ends and having the end parts in planes other than the plane of themain central part of the bar, and pro-v tecting enlargements on the free ends, sub-` stantiallyv as set forth.

9. As an article of manufacture, a vehicledash rail-frame having the brackets for. securing it to the dash, a bar adapted to extend across the dash and seated in eyes in the said bracket and a supplemental bar or bars, hav- IOC) IIO

ing arms with two free ends, also held inap- 1 ertnres' in the said brackets, said free ends being arranged substantially as set forth to,

permit the grasping of straps by` the railframe, as'described.

lO. As an article of manufacture, a vehicledash rail-frame having two brackets, as atb, b each with two apertures, a rail or bar adapted to extend across thetop ofthe dash, the central part of said bar being secured in one of the apertures in each bracket, and said bar having its ends bent back toward said central part, and secured in the other eyes of the brackets and arranged in planes other than those of the central part of the bar, substantially as setvforth. l

l1. A combined rail-frame and rein-holder fora vehicle-dash, it having two horizontallyarranged bars above the dash, one of which has its ends projecting freely, and bot-h bars being more or less in substantially the same vertical planes except that the said free ends where one of the said bars is bent so as to lie in vertical planes different from those of the adjacent portion of the other'bar.

12. Acombined top rail-frame, rein-holder and hand-rail for a vehicle-dash, it comprising two parallel bars rigidly connected together and to the dash, one of said bars having freely-projecting ends lying in vert-ical planes other than those of the adjacent parts of the neighboring bar, the llast said bar being extended downward and secured to the sides of the dash.

13. In a dash rail-frame the combination of two vertically-arranged standards adapted to be secured to the rim of the dash, a bar connecting and rigidlysecured to the two standards,a supplemental bar adjacent to the aforesaid bar, the said two bars being detachable together from the dash and being shaped relatively to each other su bstantially as set forth to provide a rein-holder wherein the reins can he slipped and clamped between the said bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.`

PAUL JOHN TIMBERLAKE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM K. SAGENDORPH, JACOB HOWELL. 

